Hear Me Out
by fersuremaybefersurenot98
Summary: Ethan's a college student- a little uptight and a bit self-righteous. Reluctantly, he follows his friends to a night cub for a bit of fun. He doesn't spend much time dancing however. He's too busy studying and avoiding the advances of a persistent psyche-major he met at the bar. A casual all-human Bethan one-shot I thought of while watching a favorite movie of mine. Kinda cute.


**AN:** 9,800+ words! Hecks yeah! This was extremely fun to write (except towards the end) and again, dammit, I know my other stories are sitting there neglected and lonely but really, what can you do? I'm just a big ball of ideas and I'm also currently working on like five other pieces besides this, one or two in particular for Halloween that I'd like to finish. I'm a bad person and I embrace it.

So this is pretty laid-back...maybe even a bit shady, but I couldn't get the idea out of my head and it wouldn't leave me alone until I wrote all of it. I've been writing this off and on since August of last year. Also, if anyone sees errors or such that I didn't notice, I apologise and please don't hesitate to let me know.

Let's see if anyone can guess which movie scene inspired this...it's painfully obvious if you're a science fiction geek like me.

 _WARNING_ : Obvious homosexuality, some swearing, and some consumption of alcohol. It's all in good fun, I promise.

 _Enjoy._

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"I feel ridiculous." Ethan complained, scowling lightly as Della drug him to the dance floor with a tight hold on his hand. "I hate whoever came up with the idea of uniforms. They're stupid. Can't we all just wear...pins or something?"

"Don't be a baby." Della scolded with a teasing smile. "Richard's paying for everyone who wears their uniform. You shouldn't whine." Ethan smiled back to the best of his ability. He knew he shouldn't complain-his night was paid for, his friends were there, and there was a cute, blonde friend-of-a-friend twirling herself around in his arms. Even in her standard red cadet uniform, her light golden hair was windblown and her eyes were blue and sparkling. Erika hadn't been joking-the girl was pretty. Though not quite the type of pretty he preferred.

"I guess so." Ethan sighed.

"Though you're kind of right. This red is making me red." Della scowled, but pulled Ethan closer as she wound her arms around his neck. "Were you a football player in high school?" Ethan couldn't help but laugh.

"Hardly." He smiled with a bit more enthusiasm now. "I haven't played any sport since I tried out for junior-league baseball. Worst ten seconds of my life." She laughed and he found himself grinning.

"Okay." She said, still giggling. "Then what did you do with all your years? I was a drama geek before I decided my major."

"Points for that. I did science and engineering fairs. I was an honor geek through and through."

"I'm sure you were more than that." Della sighed, though dreamily, and leaned into him. Ethan smiled and pulled her to him with a little difficulty on his part. She pressed a soft kiss to his cheek and it became even more difficult to continue standing there. It didn't feel right.

For some reason, he was feeling cautious. Sometimes he got these feelings...really strong feelings, like he shouldn't be doing something, or that he had somewhere else to be. Right now was one of those times, and although she was dainty and soft under his hands, she somehow felt...wrong. Alarm bells were going off in his head, and a voice was screaming at him to get away before things took a wrong turn.

And...wasn't her boyfriend sitting right over there?

"Hey, isn't that your boyfriend over there?" Ethan asked, suddenly getting an unpleasant feeling in his stomach. He stepped back just slightly, and she pouted a little as she looked back over her shoulder.

"We're not exclusive." She said carelessly, and turned back to him with a smile. "Actually, I don't think he'd mind sharing. Kurt's a pretty easy-going guy."

Somehow, that particular comment didn't seem like complete honesty. He'd heard of Kurt Lochner from one of his other friends...and his tendency to start a fight with the first person who looked at him the wrong way. Had she just forgotten she had a boyfriend? Unless she was just that kind of girl...and he was pretty sure Erika wouldn't try to set him up with someone like that, so she must just be a liar.

He sighed internally.

"Is it getting hot in here?" Ethan asked, suddenly dying for an excuse to get away.

"Maybe it's just you." Della giggled again, and Ethan was struck again by how pretty she was...pretty, but not terribly smart as it seemed, or honest. How'd she get into the academy again?

"Really, you look hot in this uniform." She pulled him in close again, and even as his hands remained hovering over her waist, she kissed just beside his ear. Ethan pulled in a breath as she kissed and bit gently, feeling an almost foreign stab of desire before he pushed her away.

"Della, I really don't think-"

"Ethan!" The brunet heard his name called over the pop music blaring from the speakers. Ethan let out a breath of utter relief. A smiling cadet with olive-toned skin and a bright smile was strutting through the entry hall. Her pin-straight brunet hair swished confidently behind her as she made her way across the club. She waved and greeted other cadets on her way in, but stopped to stand by Ethan and gave him a sparkling grin.

"Hey!" She greeted, reaching up to hug him, and this time he didn't feel any unease or intimidation, felt no discomfort when she dropped a soft kiss on his cheek. He found himself smiling genuinely for the first time since he's entered the colorfully-lit club with Hannah Price and Malcolm Brunner. Sarah was someone he could deal with.

"Hey Della." Sarah greeted with a hint of confusion, but with a smile nonetheless. "Mind if I take Ethan? Erika has something she wants to discuss with him. It's about their Astronomy class."

"Sounds like serious business." Ethan added, catching on, and Della's expression dimmed before lighting back up just as quickly.

"Oh? Well, here comes Erika right now." Sarah and Ethan glanced simultaneously to catch sight of Erika's head of pale blonde hair and the delicate, silver frames of her glasses reflecting the strobe lights.

"I'll be at the counter." Sarah whispered and Ethan grimaced as she left his side to escape to the bar.

"Traitor." He muttered and Della turned to look at him, a questioning look on her face.

"What?"

"Nothing." Ethan smiled tightly, and then maybe a bit too enthusiastic as he turned to face the other blonde. You know, the one who wasn't trying to get him beaten to a pulp by her jock boyfriend? Erika came to stand beside him rather than Della and it was somewhat a relief, especially as she leant in and rested one elbow on his shoulder and the other hand on her hip. She was in the process of greeting them when Ethan interjected, beating her to the punch.

"Hey Erika! So...what about Astronomy?" She turned to look at him and her fair eyebrows rose in question.

"Excuse me?"

Twenty minutes later, Erika and Della were happily chatting away with their respective boyfriends-David and Kurt, and another one of their jock-friends named Gord. Luckily, Kurt hadn't seen any of Della's flirting, and (also luckily) he was more than likely drunk enough that he wouldn't have cared anyway. Gord gave him the creeps, but Ethan liked David well enough, despite his alpha-male demeanor.

"Get me a shot on the way back, would ya, bud?" He only barely heard David's voice over the dozens of other conversations going on.

Ethan only shook his head lightly, smiling as he made his way through the dance floor and multicolored lights. The strobes looked trippy, gleaming off the glass tables and shiny furniture. Altogether, it looked very...new age. Right down to the weirdly tall shot glasses and the wannabe hipsters sitting at the stools. He made his way over to an empty table-which he found odd, since it was so crowded, but hey, who was he to object?

"How did I get here?" Ethan muttered to himself, not annoyed, but not exactly enjoying himself either as he waded his way to where Sarah sat, talking to a brunet in a black leather jacket.

"So, what did you say your name was again?" The brunet in the leather jacket asked. He was wiry, and his curls were a tangled mess atop his head, but it seemed to work for him. He offered Ethan a small smile as he sat down and Ethan returned it with a minuscule smile of his own and a nod.

"I don't think I did." Sarah replied flippantly, then greeted Ethan with a smile. "Hey."

"Hey yourself." Ethan grinned.

"Don't you at least want to know MY name before you shoot me down?" The guy complained. Sarah promptly ignored him, handing Ethan her menu.

"I'm fine without it, thanks." Sarah answered, almost fully facing away from the man now. Ethan muttered a quick thanks and studied the menu with little interest.

"You're more than fine without it, beautiful." Came the sultry reply and Sarah rolled her eyes.

"E, this Bloody Mary is awesome!" She gestured with renewed vigor to her half-full glass of murky red liquid. The glass had a few healthy-looking stalks of celery sticking out of the top, one of which she picked out and munched on.

"I see Erika saved you."

"Oh, yeah." Ethan smiled. "Thanks for that...and where were you?" He grimaced then, looking at her accusingly. "You just left. You're like half the reason I came at all."

"Hey, a girl's gotta look out for herself." Sarah laughed and at Ethan's amused-but-wary expression, she grasped his hand briefly to comfort him. "It couldn't have been that bad."

Ethan shrugged. "What about before that? I was stuck talking to Della for like a half an hour."

"Sorry! Jesse held me up. He put up a big fight about not wanting to wear his uniform because he got enough of the scratchy fabric during the week or whatever."

"I like Jesse more every time you talk about him." Ethan muttered. Sarah shrugged.

"Yeah, well I thought it'd be cute, you know? I'm gonna go find Erika. Drink up, will you?" She stood, grinned and kissed his cheek. "Let loose. Pick up a chick. Or a dude."

"You're just like her!" Ethan groaned. "You realize you're abandoning me at the bar of doom, right?"

"I take that as a compliment." She picked up her drink and took a sip through a thin black straw. "And I'm not abandoning you, I'm walking to the other side of the room to find my best girl friend, and I promise I'll be back. Take some advice for once, E."

"Alright." Ethan sighed and picked up the funky menu with some interest his time. "I'll drink until someone looks hot enough to make out with." He heard Sarah's answering giggle as she walked away. The bartender looked at him expectantly as he passed by. Ethan quickly glanced down at the menu, recognizing some of the drinks listed and taking interest in a few others.

"Um, I'll have two Blue Moon's-bottles please, and a JaggerBomb, a Cosmo, a Full Moon Fever, two shots of Jack Daniels, and..." He flipped the plastic around, scanning the other side.

"Try the Captain Morgan." The blonde bartender suggested. "It's good."

"And a Captain Morgan, thanks." Ethan grinned and laughed a little. "You have good taste, sir."

"That's a lot of drinks for a cadet." The brunet from before commented as he eyes Ethan with exactly the kind of interest he wasn't looking for, especially after the big fiasco with Della. In the brief moment they made eye contact, Ethan caught sight of the clearest yet richest pair of hazel irises he'd ever seen.

"And an Irish Flag!" Ethan called, unfazed, then pointedly, "And can I get a carrier please? Thanks."

"Okay." Leather Jacket went on, sliding over into the seat formerly occupied by Sarah. "So, what's _you're_ name?" Ethan sighed, now studying the food menu.

"If you don't tell me, I'll have make one up." The man smiled, then shook his head just slightly. "What is it with people and names today?"

"It's Morgan." Ethan rolled his eyes.

"Dude, that is like the exact name I was gonna make up for you!" The man smiled then, and sparing him a glance, Ethan again caught sight of those wide hazel eyes and features that were not entirely unattractive. "So what about your last name?"

"That was my last name." Ethan answered dryly, and then guiltily reminded himself that tonight was supposed to be about fun and socializing. He felt kind of bad, actually, for his attitude after he saw a sort of kicked-puppy look briefly cross the man's face. He was just being nice, but although part of Ethan wanted to talk to this tipsy idiot, a much bigger part warned him to stay away.

"Oh." A slightly dismayed tone overcame Leather Jacket's voice before it was replaced by he same enthusiasm as before. "So, what's your majors?" Ethan suppressed the urge to scowl and instead decided to humor the insistent man. The bartender would take at least another few minutes.

"I have two." Ethan conceded. "Spectroscopy and Optics." He finally turned to face the man, who-with a handsome, proud face, and slightly alcohol glazed eyes, did not exactly strike him as the sharpest knife in the drawer. "Do you have any what that means?"

"The study of light, radiant light, and vision." The man smiled lazily and leant against the counter with his chin resting on his palm. "Means you have good eyes, Cupcake. Gorgeous, too."

Ignoring the come-on, Ethan raised his eyebrows, impressed.

"Wow. So you're smarter than you look." Ethan smiled at him for he first time, albeit coyly. "And here I was thinking you were just some airhead townie."

"Looks can be deceiving, sweetheart." The brunet's grin was white and charming. "I'm Benny, by the way."

"Cool to meet you." Ethan smiled briefly, amused at the man's flirtatious nature, and looked up as the blonde haired bartender from before returned with a carrying tray.

"Same here." With another smile, Benny turned to the bartender. "Hey blondie, I'll have a glass of Scotch-on the rocks, a Sex On The Beach, a Long Island Iced Tea..." He took a second to think. "And a shot of Moonshine."

"Coming up. And the name's Rory, by the way. You should remember. How many times have you asked me that now?"

"Uh, I think I should be getting back to my table." Ethan shook his head at the pair with a bemused little smile on his face. He put the drinks on Brunner's tab, and from his own wallet, pulled a generous tip for the perky blonde. He then threw back his shot of Jack Daniels, his first drink of the night. "Keep the change, Ror."

"Way to start the night out right!" Rory grinned at him before making a weird whooping sound that somehow didn't seem all that out of character. "Thanks, dude."

"No problem. Bye." With that and a quick, fleeting smile, Ethan promptly took his tray and headed back through the crowd. After a few steps, he glanced back at the brunet, who he was startled to find staring back at him with an odd expression.

Pausing briefly, Ethan only straightened and continued on his way. Did he want company? Maybe...no, better to not invite the man back to his table. He'd find other company.

He was surprised by the tray's sturdiness, as it kept the drinks from tipping or spilling over even as he was bumped several times by dancers in colorful clothing. He made it back to his table with only a few necessary shoves and dirty looks, and when he sat down the first thing he did was take a long pull on the straw to his Cosmo, grimacing before being able to appreciate the overwhelming sensation of the drink. He sighed in satisfaction and then pulled over one of his textbooks to finish a few notes. He took another sip.

So, he knew he was kind of rude to the guy at the bar. What was his name? Barry? Benson? Something along those lines. But he needed to stay with a good crowd, right? Socialize with his own kind of people. It ensured that he wouldn't screw up and lose everything he'd worked for at the academy, every advance he'd made in the short two years he'd been there.

So Ethan might seem judgmental and self-important...so what?

It was necessary, right? The whole self respect thing? The take-no-bullshit attitude was what got him this far...it would be a mistake to stray from that path. His whole life was riding on his schooling, all his dreams and ambitions. The other cadets got that, for the most part.

It was too important to lose, and drunk townies who hung out at hipster bars trying to pick up girls did not exactly qualify as good acquaintance material, with all things considered.

Even as he thought this, he kept glancing up at the brunet sitting at the bar, who still appeared to be chatting with the blonde bartender. More than once through the waves of people, he caught the other man staring back, and omitted his gaze back to his textbooks.

So what if he was overthinking the situation a little too much? And so what if there wasn't even that much of a situation to start with? A few interested glances and flirty words from a mildly attractive townie who was probably drunk and suddenly his hormones were all over the place...

God, he needed to get out more.

For the next hour or so, as Ethan's academy friends dropped by and left for the dance floor, he continued studying...and drinking. He was half way through a chapter of Biochem and more than halfway through his "JaggerBomb" when a tall glass was set down on the table next to a tray-considerably smaller than his own, which was filled with the smaller shot glasses.

"Hey." Ethan looked up, ready to shoot an amused remark at who he fully expected to be Jesse, but it died on his lips as his eyes met clear hazel instead of icy blue.

"Uh...hey." Ethan greeted, mildly surprised as the guy from earlier at the counter pulled out the chair opposite him.

"How's it going?" The brunet asked, flashing a grin as he sipped from his glass.

"It's going well." Ethan replied in the same tone. "Just doing a little studying before semester tests next week. How's it going over there?" He took another sip from his drink, noting the pleasantly light sensation he was finally beginning to get from his efforts.

"A lot better now that I'm sitting here." The guy replied. "You are by far the prettiest face I've seen tonight."

"Thanks, that's just the compliment every guy wants to hear." Ethan scowled a little, trying to decide wether he should just shoot the guy down or give in to the mild attraction he was feeling.

"Doesn't make it any less true." The brunet retorted and reached across the table to run his hands over one of Ethan's own, running his fingers over the skin at Ethan's wrist. Ethan had to admit-the unexpected touch was distracting. "So what can I do to impress you, gorgeous?"

"I don't know." Ethan answered, pulling his hand back, and almost immediately missing the contact, although he was the one who pulled away. He noted that the other mans look didn't fall-in fact, just the opposite. He looked more than eager to pull away and sit innocently with his hands under the table with a small smile on his face-a face that Ethan begrudgingly admitted was more than a little attractive upon a second look. Then again, that might've been the alcohol talking. "You can start by not getting all touchy feely when we don't even know each others names."

"That's not my fault!" The guy defended himself. "I asked for your name the first minute I saw you."

"I'm Ethan." Ethan replied, and felt a tug of attraction at the look that passed over the other man's face-an awed smile. "You're Benson, right?"

"Benjamin actually, but my friends call me Benny-at least they would if I had any friends." Benny talked too fast and shrugged, and Ethan found himself bemused as to how a guy like this found himself in a bar trying to pick up dudes.

"Okay, Benny..." Ethan started, and sipped the last of the liquid from the bottom of his glass before raising his eyes to meet said male's hazel ones. "You are coming on to me, right?"

"I very much hope so." Benny was quick to reply with a glint in his eyes that looked almost hungry, and Ethan found himself struggling to stop the blush that threatened to color his cheeks.

"Then how about we actually get to know a little bit about each other first?" Ethan struggled to keep his composure, and cracked open his second Blue-Moon, taking a long drink while the other man shrugged.

"My name's Benny Isaac Weir. I'm from a town not too far from here called Whitechapel. I'm twenty-two. I go to college a few towns over and major in psychology and sociology. I love old films and science fiction movies, walking in the rain and going to roller rinks." He said all this with a glaze over his eyes that Ethan suspected wasn't completely credited to the alcohol. "I love Italian food, Coca-Cola...and I really don't drink much, but I love Long Island Ice Tea, and Sex On The Beach in both senses of those words. I think your smart, gorgeous, and with every minute I look at you I want to bend you over this table a little bit more."

Ethan blinked and knew without a doubt that his face was probably the hottest it had ever been, a heat that was quickly coming alive in other parts of his body. To have something to do, he lifted his glistening glass and took a sip. Yes, he definitely needed to get out more often- what an embarrassing reaction. Had he no self control? He tried desperately to ignore the sensations those last few words has set off.

"Umm.."

"I love the way your hair and eyes catch the strobes, and I love the way your lips look on those oversized straws."

"Okay! Too much!" Ethan blurted, feeling a bit overwhelmed. "Okay, I'll talk now."

"I'll listen." Benny replied easily, still raking his eyes over the man in front of him, and Ethan gulped. "Happily."

"Well...I'm Ethan James Morgan. I'm twenty-one. I'm from a little town also not too far from here called Blue Tree, and I go to a science academy about a town away. I'm visiting my family but they're also out tonight and my friends dragged me here to get wasted one last time before finals...I like science-fiction and looking at the stars." He gave a weak grin. "I don't particularly like clubbing, but I do like water and theme parks. Most of what I tried tonight, I tried for the first time."

"Still a lot of drinks for one cadet." Benny commented, and Ethan shrugged.

"I have this weirdly high tolerance for alcohol, so do my parents." He shrugged again and cleared his throat. "And just in case you're wondering Weir, I'm still not all that convinced I should still be talking to you."

"Aw, come on." Benny tried his best to look disbelieving, but thought maybe half a smirk broke through. "You mean my sappy hobbies and obvious sexual intentions don't impress you?"

"Frankly, no." Ethan replied, but was still blushing just a little. "That can't be all you got."

"Of course not." Benny gave a crocodile grin then, and for the second time, Ethan was struck by this man's features- unique, yet attractive. "Say, do you have the time, E?"

"Uh, yeah, it's...wait." Ethan rolled up the left sleeve of his jacket, then the other with a furrowed brow. "Wait..."

"Have I mentioned I'm also a magician?" Benny smiled that same mischievous grin and leant forward to rest his chin on his knuckles, fingers clasped in front of him. Ethan's dull brass watch encircled his left wrist.

"Oh my god!" Ethan sat with his jaw slack, and Benny's grin only widened. "How the hell did you do that! I haven't even sat by you the entire-" He though about it for a couple seconds, and remembered suddenly that Benny _had_ touched him...when he tried to hold his hand across the table. But that was only for a few seconds...

"Pretty cool, right?" Benny asked and then added haughtily. "You can't tell me you aren't at least a little impressed by that sweetheart, if the look on your face is anything to go by."

"How did you do that?" Ethan asked again, a little more demanding this time, and Benny felt a little jolt victory as he saw the interest and slight amusement light up in the other man's eyes, and in the beginning of a small smirk on his lips.

"It's called sleight of hand." Benny began explaining, and as he gave the watch back to Ethan, began explaining the mind-science that had allowed him to make the move while the other was distracted- after all, he was a psychology major.

"That's actually really cool." Ethan admitted, a little grudgingly. "I wouldn't even have thought about how easy it is to get distracted."

"Are you admitting that you find me distracting, Mr. Morgan?" Benny asked, raising his eyebrows suggestively and Ethan found himself grinning a bit, reluctantly, before he finished off his drink.

"Not at all. It's just that Advanced Psyche is something I think I should've taken."

"It's a good major." Benny shrugged, and downed the last of his own array of shots. "Mind if I go back to the bar and get something to eat?"

"Not if you don't mind a friend stopping by." Ethan replied, though the lithe man in black approaching his table could hardly be described as a 'friend'.

"Not as long as he's just a friend." Benny answered, with a sly smile before he got up and began his trek to the bar, wading through the sea of people, and disappearing just as Jesse sunk into the chair next to him.

"Hey." He greeted, and almost immediately plucked one of Ethan's last remaining drinks from the tray, and downing half of it in one breath, which left Ethan torn between being mildly impressed and fully annoyed.

Sarah's boyfriend was something else. Tall, dark, sarcastic, and almost beautiful in his exotic demeanor, Jesse was one of the most interesting and out-of-place cadets Ethan had met-which he guessed was why Sarah went out with him in the first place. He didn't seem the science type, per se...this part of him had only just come to the surface in the few years before, but Jesse had been chasing Sarah since they were all in ninth grade and discovering the laws of attraction. Ethan guessed something about his intelligence combined with his icy stare and all the black leather had eventually pulled her in. Some friends- Erika, Malcolm, David, Hannah, had been made while in college, but Ethan, Sarah and Jesse had known each other since middle school.

That didn't mean that had all been friends-not at all. Not at first.

"Hey." Ethan responded, pulling himself out of his thoughts. "You look like you're having fun."

"Having fun paying for my own drinks." Jesse scowled, and took another, slower sip of his drink, this time with the big, artistically designed straw. "Guessed I asked for it anyway, but fuck. I'm not wearing those stupid uniforms another minute more than I have to, free drinks be damned."

"Well, you didn't exactly pay for that JaggerBomb, did you?" Ethan asked, checking his phone absently for any new messages (a stupid habit he'd picked up from Erika) and glancing in amusement as Jesse swallowed the rest down with a low hiss.

"I thought we were bros, Morgan." Jesse gave him a white grin and Ethan snorted. "Anyway, a guy's gotta keep himself either entertained or drunk while his girlfriend dances to upstart techno music with her fangirl best friend." He eyed the dance floor with distaste, and Ethan could just make out the forms of Sarah and Erika in the crowd. "It's disgusting."

"Don't let them hear you say that." Ethan muttered, and sighed before taking both of his Jack Daniels' from the tray and setting them in front of them.

"To the 80's." Jesse grinned and held his shot up for Ethan to touch before they threw them back, Jesse wincing again, as this was still one of the first drinks of his night. "But I should...bounce." The dark man drawled with a grimace now decorating his previously amused expression. "Like quick."

"Some guy look at Sarah for too long?" Ethan asked, surveying the look of ferocity hidden just under the surface of Jesse's calculating blue eyes.

"You have no idea." He got up with an over-the-top sigh just as Benny was walking back over to the table, and accidentally bumped into him ("Sorry man, watch where you're going."). Benny scowled and looked ready to say something, and probably would have, if not for the bouncy bartender that trailed just behind him. The blonde steered a glaring Benny back towards Ethan's table, where he pulled out a chair right next to Ethan. The brunet sat down rather stiffly and grimaced at Ethan.

"You're friend?" Ethan shrugged, making a noncommittal sound. "He's friendly."

"Dude, you're not starting another fight. Not on my watch, I'm already on edge with the boss." Rory warned half-heartedly before pulling out the chair Benny previously sat on, and straddling it backwards, leaning forward until it balanced on two legs. "Need a refill there, bookworm?"

It took a second for Ethan to realize the question was directed at him, mostly because he was staring at Benny...or rather Benny's hand as his long fingers wrapped around a cold glass of some amber liquid. In the second before he caught himself and shook out of it, he found his mind wandering towards the idea that Benny had really nice hands...felt his mind wrapping around thoughts of what those hands would feel like on his skin, on his face, under his shirt...

A playful nudge to the shoulder brought Ethan fully back to reality, thankfully before the other brunet could catch his staring, and he tried not to look sheepish. "What?"

"Well, that just answered my question." Rory laughed and Ethan shrugged, smiling back.

"Hey, I'm not even drunk." Ethan grinned. "Not even a little. I could go all night." While the first part of that last sentence might not have been completely true, the latter was. He didn't feel ready to fall over or anything like that...he didn't have the urge to start dancing on the table. What did bother him was how incredibly unbreathable the material of his uniform was feeling, and how he was suddenly - and weirdly - aching for skin-on-skin contact.

"Right." The blonde shook his head. "Look, guys, sorry to cut this short, but this is my only break until the shift ends, so..."

"You know what they say, leave them wanting more." Ethan filled in, and Rory clapped hands with him before standing up. Benny, who was being uncharacteristically quiet (or was he? Ethan had only known him for a little over an hour) said his see-you-later's and when he was gone with the crowd, Benny's full attention was placed back on him.

 _'Where it should be.'_ Ethan found himself thinking before he could stop himself, and his hand twitched, wanting to reach across the table and touch the hand just inches from his own.

"What was that I just saw in your eyes, Mr. Morgan?" Benny's taunting voice matched the gleam in his eyes as he tilted his head to the side. "Was that interest? Possession?"

"Wouldn't you like to know." Ethan replied coyly, reaching up to loosen his collar. Benny grinned.

"Very much." Was the thoughtful reply before his eyes lit up with a spark of emotion that Ethan couldn't immediately identify. It took him a second to realize that it was want. "Is anyone looking hot enough to make out with yet? Namely the awkward townie geek sitting right next to you?"

"I don't think you're awkward." Ethan's reply came equally as soft as he began to realize that maybe Benny was his type of person. Sure, he might've been...different, than what he was used to, that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. Then again, that could've been the alcohol talking, lowering his inhibitions, allowing a pleasant sense of serenity to settle in his head.

"Thanks E." Benny grinned, forking a chili fry and placing it in his mouth, chewing as he seemed to contemplate. Just as he was opening his mouth, Ethan beat him to it.

"While we're being honest, I don't you're traditionally handsome, but you have a certain charm." Ethan smirked. "I can't help but wonder how many others this has worked on."

Benny blanched. "Hey! I'm classier than that. I don't just pick up any tramp I can scrape off the bar. Give me a little more credit."

"You still haven't given me my watch back." Ethan noted instead of answering. "You could be a thief for all I know."

"Are you one of those mean drunks?" Benny pouted- rather cutely, if Ethan thought about it, and the cadet smiled. "I don't think I could deal with it if you were abusive like this."

"I've barely gotten going Benny, and I'm not drunk." Ethan replied, reaching over to run his hand over Benny's wrist, akin to the way the other brunet had done to him. Only this time, Benny's hand was faced down, and Ethan had to use both hands to flip it over. Absently, he ran a couple of fingers over the expanse of lines and marks on the palm of Benny's hand.

"It's no wonder you're coming on to me so hard." Ethan mused, tilting his head slightly as he looked a bit closer. "You need someone responsible to look after you. Always getting yourself into trouble, aren't you Benny?"

"You know palmistry?" Benny asked, but his mind was somewhere else, eyes slightly glazed over with the desire to just reach out and _touch._ The gentle touches on his sensitive palm was incredibly distracting, and he struggled even more to keep his hands to himself.

Ethan didn't seem to be having the same train of thought. His movements went from light tracing to more of a hand massage, and Benny could see a bit of the other man's inner workings reflected in his chocolate eyes. Were men supposed to have eyes like that?

"It's a family thing." Benny had to think for a second before he realized what Ethan was talking about. He was answering Benny's question.

"You wanna see another trick?" Benny asked, struggling slightly to keep his voice normal, and placing one hand on Ethan's knee, running it lightly back and forth. Ethan only rose an eyebrow.

"What's that?" Benny grinned.

"I'll tell you later."

"You make it sound like I have all the time in the world." Ethan smiled back, grasping Benny's hand that was venturing further and further up his thigh. "What am I? A piece of club meat?"

"No, you're so much better than that." Benny answered honestly, reaching up instead to caress Ethan's face lightly with his fingers. "You're so smart and so...intimidating. It's so freaking hot."

"You know how to charm someone, I'll give you that much." Ethan grinned then, not moving an inch, and their faces were a mere two inches apart. So much that he had to look drastically down to avoid having to notice how Benny's deep hazel eyes simply sparkled with unsuppressed want and infatuation. How could someone look like that after having known the other person for little over an hour? "The question is, will it be enough?"

"I can do a lot better." Benny promised, just as there was a sudden uproar somewhere on the other side of the bar. There were sounds of glass breaking and people shouting over the sounds of the electronic music playing overhead. On the dance floor, people were becoming confused and some were even backing away, and the two stood up to get a look just as a path cleared for only a moment between all the people. Someone had started a fight.

"Hey, what's going on here?" There was someone shouting across the room, and Benny could see the assistant manager coming out from the back of the club, followed by a couple of bouncers.

"Damn." Benny exclaimed. "Must be pretty bad- Ol' Stern never comes out of his office."

"Must be on of the cadets fighting." Ethan winced, apparently catching sight of the brawl. "Yep, there he goes, that idiot Sanders."

"Um, Ethan." Benny poked him on the arm. "I'm just spitballing here, but I'm guessing that this doesn't mean very good news for you."

He pointed over the heads of a couple of people and Ethan saw with wide eyes one of his campus Professors. Even out of his usual tie and jacket, he was still intimidating, and barking out orders to all of the other cadets, who were making hasty exits out of the club. Ethan cursed.

"Oh hell, there's no way I'm getting out without having to run in front of him." Ethan cursed, looking around the club for another escape route.

"I just saw Rory, he's pointing." Benny's eyes were narrowed, one eyebrow raised as he tried to make out he blonde's directions. "Frantically. I think he means the janitors closet."

"To the janitors closet it is." Ethan said faintly, pushing Benny away from their table and towards the general direction of Rory's motioning. "I am _not_ getting busted by Hicks, I have too much pride for that. What the hell is he doing here anyway?!"

"Looks like he should be at bingo or something." Benny agreed, sneaking a look over Ethan's shoulder as he was half-shoved all the way to the closet. "What kind of name is Hicks anyway?"

"No idea." Ethan slammed the door once they were inside, and Benny noted with mild suprise that it wasn't a janitors closet after all...more of a hallway with electrical panels on one side and crates and boxes on the other. And at the end of the hallway, lit in red by sever emergency lights, was a door with a green EXIT sign hanging right over it. Ethan was already walking, Benny noted with a pout, without him towards said exit.

"They're bound to come looking here." Ethan said in a hushed voice as he pushed open the big metal door with a creak. "God, I bet anything Fine's going to be writing up anyone he catches sight of. Hicks is alright, but Fine you need to watch out for...I've heard that he likes to interfere, but I didn't know they meant this."

 _"Why?"_ Benny couldn't help but ask, as they stepped into the cool night air. Ethan was peeking around the corner to the front of the bar, where a couple of cars were already pulling out onto the mostly empty highway. Ethan shrugged.

"Must not want us making a bad name for the academy." Benny seen Ethan's scowl and he felt a rush of mild affection. How the kid managed to be doing absolutely nothing to call attention to himself and still be adorable as hell was beyond him. "This was all Sanders' fault! Everyone knows how he gets when he's drunk, that _idiot."_

"I hear someone coming." Benny said suddenly, listening to a door slam and then several voices speaking at once. "I think. Down the hallway."

Ethan swore, and looked out front again. "They're everywhere, Benny! I don't want to get reprimanded, this is messed up."

"Here, take off your jacket!" Benny said suddenly, opening a recycling bin. "Throw it in here!"

"Are you insane?" Ethan asked, but he was already yanking it off, so fast that Benny was sure a few buttons had to have come loose. Underneath was a plain white t-shirt. "They'll still know!"

"Those black pants could go with anything!" Benny dismissed, but had a faint smile on his face as Ethan shoved his jacket into the bin. "Want to see my best trick of the night so far?"

"I have no idea what-"

"Come here." Benny interrupted, and pushed Ethan quickly against the cold stone wall, connecting their lips just as the door to the club flew open with a bang that made Ethan jump under Benny's hands. Benny's hands which were roaming, one skimming Ethan's side and the other on the back of his neck. Ethan gave a squeaky sound of surprised protest.

"What are you doing?" Ethan hissed, pulling back just slightly, sounding more shocked than angry.

"Being inconspicuous." Benny smiled and moved so that he was leaving light kisses on Ethan's warm, sweet neck. "Go along with it, E. Don't think about it. Just feel."

Ethan closed his eyes and tried not to shudder at the sensations, thinking vaguely with an annoyed, miffed sound that Benny was taking full advantage of the situation. Still thinking this, he let Benny kiss his neck and his jaw for just a few moments more. There were voices by the clubs back entrance, but Ethan was successfully distracted from them when Benny's light kissing turned to tasting and nibbling. The shorter brunet groaned quietly, half in annoyance and half in aroused submission as he turned his head to kiss Benny full on the mouth.

He noted the pleased sound Benny made with another tinge of annoyance but got lost in the unexpectedly passionate kiss so much that he didn't completely notice when the two people who'd come from inside had gone away. Though he did give a small grin of amusement when they muttered something about 'homos' before disappearing around the front.

Benny's kisses were warm and firm, and so easy to melt into. Ethan had been kissed before, of course, but it had been so long since someone had been able to set his skin on fire like this. No one had ever, ever held him like this, or kissed him so that his own body ached with desire. He found himself not wanting to pull away long after the bouncers had came and gone, and even longer until someone else had exited the back entrance.

 _"Ethan?"_

Ethan gave a little gasp as he pulled away, his breathing a bit labored and his eyes a little dark. Standing near the entrance with a look of polite surprise was none other than Erika, with Sarah stepping out behind her, and then Jesse.

"Ethan indeed." Jesse smirked and Sarah raised an eyebrow.

"The bar guy, Ethan?" Sarah grinned, and giggled a little as the door slammed shut behind them. "Really? You must've really gotten going."

"I make my own decisions, Sarah! This was the best course of action!" Ethan defended himself, although his face was burning both from the kiss and from slight embarrassment. "Those bouncers just walked right past. What did you guys do? Hide under tables?"

"In the ladies room, actually." Erika smiled. "No jackass would dare go in there."

"Except for me, of course." Jesse's smirk was just as offending as his voice. "I hung out on the couch- you know they have couches in the women's room? No one seemed to mind."

"Classy." Ethan snorted, turning back to Benny, who'd been watching the exchange with polite interest but was now gazing at him with a cute pout that still managed to have a look of hunger about it.

"I'm just a classy guy." Jesse gave a bit of a grin. "I wasn't about to be caught by that fool Hicks or Fine. Even without the uniform, I have an important face. I would've been recognized in a second."

"Modest too." Benny murmured, leaning in to capture Ethan's lips in his own once again in a quick kiss. "I don't like him."

Ethan grinned. "Sarah, you going home with Jesse?"

"Probably not. Erika's coming over." Sarah smiled as she walked past him and out into the open in front of the club. "Can you get home in one piece?"

"Who are you talking to?" Ethan shot back, but smirked nonetheless. "Call me when you get home."

"Pick up." Erika winked as she walked past and Jesse shot him a half amused, arrogant look to which Ethan rolled his eyes.

"I don't know about you." Ethan sighed. "But I'm tired of the bar."

"Don't leave me yet." Benny whined. "I just got you." He pulled Ethan closer by wrapping his arms around him and he didn't even try to fight the feeling he got when Benny kissed him for the forth time.

"Then come back with me." Ethan found himself saying, unexpectedly. He blinked at himself and had to fight a blush at the shocked look on Benny's face, a split second before the other teen's lips cut off any explanation he might've stuttered out.

.

.

"This must've been bad." Benny mused as he flipped through the pages of one of Ethan's old school books. "These people didn't have air conditioning."

"Yeah, they actually had to _work_ for their food, Benny." Ethan agreed playfully as he sat down next to him on the swinging-bench of his back porch. In his hands was a large crystal-looking bowl with a medley of fresh, wet fruit. "In ninety degree weather. The harvest stopped for no one."

"It was even too hot to stay in the house last night. Modern houses trap heat like those historic people wouldn't believe. Still..I'm glad we have technology." The taller brunet sighed as he pushed the textbook aside, onto the floor of the porch where he'd also thrown a deck of cards (he'd tried many times to impress Ethan with card tricks) and then lounged lazily against Ethan's bare chest. Ethan ran his fingers through Benny's hair and had a mad urge to kiss his temple.

Last night had passed in less of a drunken blur and more of an erotic haze. The alcohol had something to do with how good it seemed, Ethan was sure, but other than that, he couldn't remember the last time he had been so comfortable with someone...besides maybe Sarah, and even his time with her wasn't the same. He felt like, if they - Benny and himself - had met under different circumstances, they could've come to been friends very easily. Great friends, even.

It helped that Benny seemed to be determined to find each and every good and impressive thing Ethan had to offer and commend him for them. Of course, it also helped that Benny was a huge science fiction geek himself and that he really did have something to offer under all the leather and pick-up lines. He was intelligent, and incredibly sweet when he wanted to be, and found _every one_ of Ethan's weak spots that made him melt, even the ones he didn't know he had...

"What are you thinking about?" Benny asked, intertwining his fingers with Ethan's and looking up at him with a childish curiosity in his eyes, but the look he gave him was anything but childish. "Something good, I can tell."

Ethan blushed and shrugged, breathing a deep sigh of summer air, made cool by the shade of the porch. He picked a grape out of the bowl to distract himself, but couldn't resist pulling Benny a little bit closer. A very compliant Benny, who seemed to be enjoying the cube of watermelon he was eating, even as the juice dripped down his fingers. Ethan swallowed.

"I was just thinking about how comfortable I feel, honestly." Ethan admitted, trying to be casual about it. "I've never met anyone like you, Benny."

"Don't be shy." Benny murmured, turning so he could place his forehead against Ethan's jaw. He placed a soft kiss to the side of Ethan's fairly toned neck, right where it met his shoulder. "I feel it too."

"I just feel kind of stupid." Ethan smiled slightly. "Like I'm rushing into everything too quick."

"You think?" Benny grinned and shifted in his seat. "That's not always a bad thing. Come lie down with me."

"Benny, I'm sitting right next to you, isn't that enough?"

"No! It's never enough!" Benny exclaimed as he pulled Ethan down until his back was flush against his own chest, and his head rested on his arm. "There, isn't that better?"

"Benny, it's broad daylight." Ethan protested, although he wasn't doing so too hard- he didn't make any move to shift position.

"So? We're decent." Benny smiled and ran his nose along Ethan's neck. "Wish we weren't." This sent a suppressed shiver down Ethan's spine and Benny kissed lightly at his hairline. "Tell me what else you were thinking about."

"I think I left my freakin' wallet at that club." Ethan's voice had a slight tremor to it. "I knew I shouldn't have even gone-"

"Then we wouldn't have met." Benny reminded him, and furthered his efforts at leaving yet another mark on Ethan's skin. The other two were on his collarbone and on his waistline. "Besides, I don't think you need to worry about your wallet..last I checked, I left it on your computer table in your room."

"So that was you!" Ethan turned to glare lightly at the brunet behind him, who only grinned and pinched Ethan's behind lightly so as to make him yelp.

"Of course it was! Now come on, E! A penny for your thoughts, and your always thinking, so think of all the pennies you're earning. Your so hot when you talk geeky to me."

"Ugh!" Ethan rolled his eyes, exasperated. "What about you? Don't you ever think, Benny? What are you thinking about?"

"I think enough. I just don't have to right now." Benny grinned and subtly scooted himself down lower until he could kiss at the one spot he knew would make Ethan shiver. "You might be thinking about this."

"Benny!" Ethan exclaimed, immediately trying to sit up or scoot away, but Benny held fast until Ethan stopped struggling so much. "We can't do this here!"

"Shhh." Benny shushed him, and smiled when Ethan gave up and hid his face in his arm. "Your too tense, E."

"I'm fine, Benny." Ethan disagreed, but couldn't suppress the shudders he got when Benny kissed him again, a look of bliss on his face. Nothing Benny had ever heard was sweeter than those helpless sounds that came from the back of Ethan's throat when he kissed him there.

And Benny enjoyed the light shudders and the soft sounds immensely, feeling something warm up and melt slowly in his chest. He enjoyed it, that is, up until the point that they heard someone rustling inside the house, and then a call of Ethan's name.

"Ethan! Your car's outside! We're home early!" Came a male voice.

"You'd better not still be sleeping!" A second call rang out from a female this time. The pair on the back porch were already up and scrambling to get their clothes on right.

"I think-"

"I should go!" Benny finished in a whisper, eyes wide as he watched the door with a barely concealed look of terror. "I've seen pictures of your dad, E-"

"It's not like I'm a girl!" Ethan hissed back, blushing like mad. "I'm a man! I'm in college for gods sake!"

"You can say that all you want, but you're rushing to get your pants on straight too!" Benny gave a crazy little laugh. "You know he'd chase me away with a shotgun if he could!"

"He doesn't even own a shotgun! I don't think he's been hunting in his life."

"Ethan?" Footsteps were approaching the back door.

Benny pressed a quick kiss to Ethan's lips, and ran off the porch carrying his shoes, exclaiming as quietly as he could that he'd be at the bakery down the street ("And bring your wallet! My money's in my jacket! Damnit, my _jacket!)._ He was still pulling up his pants when he disappeared around the corner.

"Hey mom!" Ethan's greeting was in at a higher pitch than usual. "Hot day today?"

"What?" His moms face was amused as she poked her head out, and she gave him a strange look. "Did you sleep outside, Ethan? Why's you shirt on backwards? And inside out?"

"I thought I heard you talking to someone." His dad added, coming out with a basket of clothes to hang on the clothesline.

"Just woke up from a bad dream!" Ethan made up an excuse as quick as he could, trying to get over his nerves. If only it were the truth- in fact, he'd had very good dreams in the short time he'd been asleep...dreams involving a charming, wild-eyed magician. Discreetly, he kicked Benny's jacket under the porch swing, out of sight. "Need any help, dad?"

"No, but you could go get washed up. We're going out for breakfast." His dad looked back at him with a raise brow. "What'd you do last night, E?"

"Huh?" Ethan squeaked. "What do you mean, I'm fine!"

"Well, okay." His dad was really looking at him strange now, as was his mom. "That's good, I just meant that you have bags under your eyes, son. Did you stay up all night?"

"Of course not." Ethan dismissed the question, heading past his mom on the way in the house, picking up all of the pillows and blankets and Benny's jacket on the way. He wanted to give his mom a kiss on the cheek on the way in, but decided better of it. "I'll be down in a while."

After a quick shower and a change of clothes, Ethan was feeling pretty good. Jane was away at a boarding school she started attending last year, but that was okay, because she was way too perceptive anyway. He wouldn't want her mucking it all up when he tried to introduce Benny -respectfully- to his parents over breakfast.

And Ethan couldn't help the small laugh when he opened his wallet in the back of his parents' car and a yellow paper came falling out. Maybe Benny had been preparing in case Ethan ditched him, but there was a number written on one side of the card, and an email. On the other side was a cute drawing of the StarFleet insignia with a bunch of hearts surrounding a phrase."You must have your looks set to _'Stunning'."_

Still smiling, Ethan slipped the note back into his wallet and got out of the car, thinking of how very geeky Benny was and asking himself how he hadn't noticed from the beginning. Looking up, his bright eyes met a set of smiling hazel ones, looking through the big front windows of his family's favorite diner. Gesturing the three open seats at their usual table, Benny grinned at him and winked.

.

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 **AN:** I kind of actually like the ending. What did you guys think? Reviews are always welcome- in fact, I encourage them. xP

No sequel right now, it looks like- I can't think of a way to continue this. I think it's fine as a one-shot, but by all means, drop me some ideas. Also, I'd like to say that I know that in some or most of my one and two-shots, Benny and Ethan are wholly human and don't have the supernatural abilities they normally posess. This is because it's simpler for me to write plots for Benny and Ethan's first time meeting if they don't have to go through the complications of discovering each other's supernatural heritage. And, of course, it makes their lives much more calm and mellow, which makes it easier for me to cut down the plotline and just write something peaceful. Most of my one and two-shots are just for the fun of writing and really aren't all that complex, thus- mundane Bethan. I save the big guns, so to say, for my longer, more in-depth fics.

Happy reading.

Uploaded 09.06.15


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